Sociology Commons^™

Inequality, Position, And Perception: Understanding And Addressing Workplace Harassment In Oregon's Construction Trades, Sasha Mae Bassett

Dissertations and Theses

Does our status impact the way we interpret change? This study proposes that one's level of power within their workplace, as granted by their role within the organization, shapes the way in which people interpret adjustments to the norms of that organization. Drawing on qualitative focus groups with forty-four members of Oregon's construction trades, this study examines the relationship between participants' position within the industry's structure and their opinions about the changing job site norms brought on by recent waves of diversification in the workforce. Findings suggest that within Oregon's construction trades, hierarchical distribution of power via industry position serves …

Watershed Management And Private Lands: Moving Beyond Financial Incentives To Encourage Land Stewardship, Matthew Thomas Deangelo

Dissertations and Theses

Public water utilities are tasked with providing high quality, inexpensive water often sourced from watersheds representing a diverse mix of public and private land ownership. There is increasing recognition amongst water resource managers of the role that private landowners play in determining downstream water quality, but bringing together landowners with a wide variety of land management objectives under the umbrella of watershed stewardship has proven difficult. Recently, a large number of "Payment for Watershed Services" programs have aimed to engage private landowners in watershed stewardship initiatives by offering financial incentives for adopting watershed best management practices. However, a growing field …

Sisters In Action For Power: How Youth-Adult Partnerships And Popular Education Can Facilitate Girl-Led Community Organizing For Equity And Justice, Samantha L. Taylor

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

“Sisters in Action for Power: How Youth-adult Partnerships and Popular Education can Facilitate Girl-led Community Organizing for Equity and Justice” examines how grassroots community organizing has impacted women of color in Portland, Oregon. Using a case study of the non-profit organization, Sisters in Action for Power, this paper addresses the question: how do women who were youth organizers with Sisters in Action relate to the broader significance and personal impact of the community organizing work they engaged in as youth? This paper offers three critical aspects of the practice of youth-adult partnerships at Sisters in Action: (1) civic engagement, (2) …

The Impacts Of Microaggressions On The Performance Of Multiracial And Monoracial College Students, Jasmine S. Keith

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

This study attempts to contribute to the research on how microaggressions affect performance of multiracial and monoracial college students in both social and academic realms. Microaggressions were explored through online surveys distributed via email to several hundred students. Participants consisted of students over the age of 18 at an urban institution in the Pacific Northwest. Bivariate logistical regression and axial coding were used to analyze participant responses. The first hypothesis for this study is that multiracial college students experience more microaggressions in social settings, while monoracial students experience more microaggressions in academic settings. The second hypothesis is that multiracial students …

Prevalence And Use Of Guns In Perpetration Of Intimate Partner Violence, Caroline D. Cummings

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a social problem and public health issue in the United States that various states and the federal government have taken special precautions to alleviate. Two studies were conducted to address the problem. Study 1 examined archival data from a study that administered the Revised Conflict Tactic Scale to students taking psychology courses at Portland State University. The majority of students within the sample perpetrated psychological aggression but not physical assault. It was inconclusive whether more male than female college students perpetrated in physical assault against their partners. Lastly, less than 1% of students had ever …

Transgender Patients' Experiences Of Discrimination At Mental Health Clinics, Corrine Ann Stocking

Dissertations and Theses

The transgender population is makes up about 0.3% of the U.S. population (Gates 2011). The term transgender is both an identity and an umbrella term used to describe people who do not adhere to traditional gender norms (Institute of Medicine 2011). Transgender people experience many barriers to services, negative health outcomes, and discrimination (Fredrikson-Goldsen et al. 2013; Institute of Medicine 2011; Eliason et al. 2009; Hendricks & Testa 2012). Mental health clinics are an important site for understanding transgender peoples' experiences due to being a gatekeeper for other medical services and their role in helping transpeople with issues surrounding coming …

Examining Generational And Gender Differences In Parent-Young Adult Child Relationships During Co-Residence, Lauren Elizabeth Ferguson

Dissertations and Theses

Young adults of the twenty-first century face a long path to adulthood marked by uncertainty and lack of stability. In response, young adults are heading back to or failing to leave their family homes in higher numbers than generations before (Jacobsen and Mather 2011; Qian 2012). These macro-level trends bring about questions about their impact on family relationships as well as how these relationships have evolved over time. My thesis investigates parent-child relationships during co-residence with a specific focus on generation and gender differences. Through secondary data analysis of the National Survey of Families and Households, I explore how parent-child …

Does The School Day Matter? The Association Between Adolescent School Attachment And Involvement And Adult Criminal Behavior, Madeline O'Neil

Dissertations and Theses

Research with adolescence demonstrates school involvement and attachment greatly influences students' outcomes and choices outside of their school environment. Many studies have addressed whether delinquent behavior while in adolescence is associated with various aspects of schooling, but there is limited research looking at the long-term effects schooling has on criminal behavior in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to assess whether students' attachment to their school or involvement in extracurricular activities at school shapes students' outcomes in adulthood--specifically their criminality and likelihood of being arrested. In addition, this study took on a gendered relationship, examining how gender moderates the …

On Both Sides Of The Tracks: Light Rail And Gentrification In Portland, Oregon, Nathan Eric Rochester

Dissertations and Theses

This study draws on census data and geographic information systems (GIS) to investigate the relationship between light rail transit (LRT) infrastructure development and gentrification in Portland, Oregon. While recent research using comprehensive measures of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) supports a potentially causal link between transit development and gentrification, research into the effects of transit on property values alone tends to dominate the discourse. This study therefore seeks to build on previous research to develop an index measure of neighborhood SES and SES change based on measures of education, occupation, and income, using census data from 1980-2010. This multifaceted measure of …

The Use Of Anti-Bullying Policies To Protect Lgbt Youth: Teacher And Administrator Perspectives On Policy Implementation, Michelle Lauren Holliday

Dissertations and Theses

Although in recent years there has been increased attention on bullying prevention and bullying legislation in the United States, there is limited research on the implementation of anti-bullying policies. Moreover, few studies have addressed the use of anti-bullying policies to protect LGBT youth from bullying. The present study seeks to examine the role of anti-bullying policies as a means to protect against bullying based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Qualitative interviews with high school teachers, administrators, and staff members within an urban school district in the United States were conducted to gain insight into how those charged with …

The Dispute Over Seeds: Indigenous And Peasant Struggles For Food Sovereignty In Chiapas, Mexico., Carol Hernandez-Rodriguez

Student Research Symposium

This research project explores the implications of these developments for indigenous and peasant communities in Chiapas, Mexico, whose food sovereignty depends on the conservation and reproduction of native seeds.

The research project focuses on the following questions:

1. How do neoliberal policies in the agrarian system impact the food sovereignty of indigenous and peasant communities in the Global South?

2. How are indigenous and peasant communities in Chiapas contesting neoliberal policies and strengthening their food sovereignty?

An Evaluation Of The Federal Legal Services Program: Evidence From Crime Rates And Property Values, Jamein P. Cunningham

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper uses the city level roll-out of legal service grants to evaluate their effects on crime. Using Uniform Crime Reports from 1960 to 1985, the results show that there is a short run increase of 7 percent in crimes reported and also a 13 percent increase in crimes cleared by arrest. Results show an increase in the staffing of police officers in cities that received legal services. These cities are also associated with having higher median property values 10 years later. This supports the narrative that legal services changed police behavior through litigation or threats of litigation.

Oregon Community-Based Care Survey 2016: Adult Foster Homes, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Aubrey Limburg, Amanuel Zimam, Megan Rushkin, Margaret B. Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

This report describes adult foster homes in Oregon. An adult foster home (AFH) is a type of licensed community-based care (CBC) setting that provides residential, personal care, and health-related services, primarily to older adults. The study collected information from adult foster homes to achieve the following four main goals.

1. Describe adult foster home characteristics, including staffing types and levels, policies, and monthly charges and fees
2. Describe current residents’ health and social characteristics
3. Compare current results to prior Oregon surveys and to national studies of similar setting types to identify changes and possible trends
4. Compare setting types for differences that might …

Oregon Community-Based Care Survey: Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Aubrey Limburg, Amanuel Zimam, Megan Rushkin, Margaret B. Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

This report, prepared by the Institute on Aging (IOA) at Portland State University (PSU) in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Human Services, describes community-based care (CBC) settings that provide residential, personal care, and health-related services, primarily to older adults. The study collected information from assisted living, residential care, and memory care communities to achieve the following four main goals.

1. Describe assisted living, residential care, and memory care community characteristics, including staffing types and levels, policies, and monthly charges and fees
2. Describe current residents’ health and social characteristics
3. Compare current results to prior Oregon surveys and to national studies of …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Desire For Reversal Of Sterilization Among U.S. Women, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Kelly Gonzales, Elizabeth Carol Hauck

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: Female sterilization rates and subsequent desire for reversal of the procedure are substantially higher in minorities, low-income women, and those who use public insurance. Despite the disproportionate distribution of these outcomes, few studies in this area have considered the extent to which such disparities are attributable to a restricted set of contraceptive options among medically underserved populations, which may in turn explain higher rates of desire for reversal. Methods: We use the most recent wave of NSFG data (2011-2013) to estimate odds ratios for race/ethnicity on the likelihood of desire for reversal of sterilization, while controlling for an array …

Desirable Conversations: Sexuality And Women With Intellectual Disabilities, Neera Malhotra

Dissertations and Theses

The American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD, 2011) assert that individuals with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of gender, have an equal right to learn about and experience their own sexuality. A review of the extant literature indicated that the voices of women with intellectual disabilities on the topic of familial culture, as it relates to sexuality, are rarely included (McCarthy, 1993; Shakespeare, 2000; Siebers, 2012).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the role of familial culture and lived experiences of women with intellectual disabilities, ages 21-35, in understanding their own sexuality. Eight women participated in individual …

Finding The Missing Links: A Comparison Of Social Network Analysis Methods, Shawn James Mehess

Dissertations and Theses

Too many students leave school without even the essential skills (ACT, 2011), and many others are so drained by the experience they lack a desire to continue on to a post-secondary education. Academic engagement has emerged as a construct representing students’ personal investment in school (Greenwood, Delquadri, & Hall, 1984), and may be a psychological variable which can be intervened on. However, interventions must occur as quickly as possible to maximize their efficiency (Heckman, 2007). Students’ peer groups may be a particularly potent venue of intervention, however several options exist for how to go about measuring their social networks.

In …

The Kazaks Of Istanbul: A Case Of Social Cohesion, Economic Breakdown And The Search For A Moral Economy, Daniel Marc Auger

Dissertations and Theses

This research is focused on understanding the ways in which the community orientation of the Kazak ethnic community in Istanbul, Turkey have contributed to their economic success which in turn encourages strong community, and the nature of their community-based support networks for providing material and cultural support. It examines the role of social capital and cohesion in maintaining the community with its positive implications for the continued building of wealth or sourcing of funding on a community level. The theoretical concepts relevant to this project are based on the ideas that the shared values of a community are a positive …

Substantive Representation By The Unelected: The Role Of Staff Gender On Mayoral Priorities In U.S. Cities, Sara M. Hottman

Dissertations and Theses

The literature on descriptive and substantive representation focuses on elected representatives, but overlooks the gender of those who play an integral role in policy process (agenda-setting) and outcomes (implementation): The elected’s chief of staff, senior policy advisors, and, in council-manager systems, the city manager. This thesis examines the role policy staff and city manager gender plays in substantive representation. After analyzing staff composition and agenda priorities — gleaned from State of the City addresses — for mayors of the 50 most-populous cities in the United States, I found substantial evidence to support my hypotheses that the chief of staff’s gender, …

"Like Drinking Water Out Of A Fire Hydrant" Medical Education As Transformation: A Naturalistic Inquiry Into The Physician Assistant Student Experience, Patricia Kenney-Moore

Dissertations and Theses

Physician assistants are medical professionals educated in an allopathic medical education model in the United States. In order to successfully matriculate, educate and graduate safe and effective health care providers in a 2-year time frame, the 4-year M.D. curriculum has been abbreviated and condensed leading to an intense, full-time cohort educational experience that taxes physician assistant students to their limits. The demanding workload can lead to fluctuations in mood and morale along with increased levels of psychological distress. This dissertation explores this under examined student experience by first introducing the physician assistant profession and the process by which it educates …

Differential Health And Social Needs Of Older Adults Waitlisted For Public Housing Or Housing Choice Vouchers, Paula C. Carder, Gretchen Luhr, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon

Institute on Aging Publications

Affordable housing is an important form of income security for low-income older persons. This article describes characteristics of older persons waitlisted for either public housing or a housing choice voucher (HCV) (previously Section 8) in Portland, Oregon. 358 persons (32% response rate) completed a mailed survey with questions about demographics, health and housing status, food insecurity, and preference for housing with services. Findings indicate that many waitlisted older persons experienced homelessness or housing instability, poor health, high hospital use, and food insecurity. Public housing applicants were significantly more likely to report lower incomes, homelessness, and food insecurity than HCV applicants. …

Bidirectional Associations Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Depression: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study, Ming-Chi Lu, How-Ran Guo, Miao-Chiu Lin, Hanoch Livneh, Ning-Sheng Lai, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and depression may be associated with each other pathophysiologically, but few studies have been conducted on the interplay between these two diseases using longitudinal measurement. Therefore, we used the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan to investigate the bidirectional associations between RA and depression. One cohort was included to analyze RA predicting the onset of depression and a second cohort for analysis of depression predicting RA. A sex- and age-matched control group was included for both. The incidence of depression in RA subjects was higher than in non-RA subjects [15.69 vs. 8.95 per 1,000 person-years (PYs)], …

Beyond The Hotspot: Exploring The Impact Of Land Use And Transportation Networks On The Spatial Crime Distribution, Kathryn Wuschke, Martin A. Andresen, Allison Campbell

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications and Presentations

Slides from a presentation delivered to the Western Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Vancouver, February 2016. Investigates the impact of land use and transportation networks on crime, and how the spatial distribution of crime is impacted by the built environment.

The Case For Age-Friendly Communities, Margaret Neal, Alan Kenneth Delatorre

Institute on Aging Publications

The report was funded by Grantmakers In Aging, an organization dedicated to promoting and strengthening grantmaking for an aging society. The movement toward age-friendly communities is growing, with the key impetus being population aging. Beyond what individuals themselves can do to age optimally, the movement to create communities that are age friendly focuses on how the economic, physical, and social environments can be improved to address not only the needs but also maximize the assets of an aging population, for the benefit of all.

Perceptions Regarding Public Safety In Portland’S King Neighborhood, Kris R. Henning, Greg Stewart

Criminal Justice Policy Research Institute Research Briefs

The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is partnering with Portland State University (PSU) and neighborhood groups to develop new strategies for improving police-community relations and reducing crime. Our most recent initiative seeks to provide residents with greater voice in where PPB officers work in their neighborhood and what steps the City takes there to address public safety concerns.

The King neighborhood in Northeast Portland was chosen as the starting point for this work following a recent gang related shooting at King School Park. Officers from North Precinct had already begun outreach to the community and they wanted additional input from the …

Potentially Traumatic Experiences And Sexual Health Among Orphaned And Separated Adolescents In Five Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Christine L. Gray, Kathryn Whetten, Lynne C. Messer, Rachel A. Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Karen O'Donnell, Nathan M. Thielman, Brian W. Pence

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Orphans and separated children (OSC) are a vulnerable population whose numbers are increasing, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Over 153 million children worldwide have lost one or both parents, including 17 million orphaned by AIDS, and millions more have been separated from their parents. As younger orphans enter adolescence, their sexual health and HIV-related risk behaviors become key considerations for their overall health. Importantly, their high prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) may put OSC at additional risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study followed OSC randomly sampled from institution-based care and …

Review Of The Tragedy Of The Commodity: Oceans, Fisheries, And Aquaculture, Julius Mcgee

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book review of, The Tragedy of the Commodity: Oceans, Fisheries, and Aquaculture By Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca Clausen, and Brett Clark. Rutgers University Press (June 25, 2015).

Building A State For All Ages: Tapping The Potential Of Older Oregonians, Stephen Percy, Judith A. Ramaley, John Tapogna, Margaret B. Neal, Jay Bloom, Alexandra Reece

Institute on Aging Publications

This report explores how the aging population—including native Oregonians and senior adults moving to the state—represent an asset to Oregon. Aging in America has often been viewed from a perspective of deficit and decline. We wholeheartedly challenge this perspective. This report identifies how older adults can play vital roles in the workforce, entrepreneurship and innovation, and supporting community revitalization through volunteering of time and talent.

Adjustment To College In The United States: Perceptions Of Qatari Students, Janet S. Walker, Jennifer E. Blakeslee, Batoul Khalifa, Ramzi Nasser, Atmane Ikhlef

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This qualitative study is part of a collaborative research effort undertaken by investigators based in the United States and Qatar to better understand Qatari student perspectives on their post-secondary adjustment and success. Here, we report findings from structured interviews with Qatari nationals studying abroad in the US, all of whom were males who were, or had recently been, undergraduates at state universities and/or community colleges in Oregon (n=21). Approximately two-thirds were in business or economics programs and about a third in STEM programs (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics). Most of the interviews were conducted in Arabic and translated into English …

Beyond Fruit: Examining Community In A Community Orchard, Emily Jane Becker

Dissertations and Theses

The Fruits of Diversity Community Orchard, located in Portland, Oregon in an affordable housing neighborhood, is a site of alternative food provisioning in which a group of people, organized by two nonprofits, work together to manage fruit and nut producing plants. Through conversations with volunteers who participate regularly and participant observation, this study explores the questions: What does community mean in the context of a community orchard? In what ways does partnering with a nonprofit from outside the neighborhood influence community and the way the project is operationalized?

This thesis situates community orchards within the literature on alternative food networks …